Ottoman with changeable cushioning means therein



March 17, 1964 B. R. BRIDGES 3,125,377

OTTOMAN WITH CHANGEABLE CUSHIONING MEANS THEREIN Filed Dec. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Billie R. Bridges I N VEN TOR.

BY wean? M EM Mai-ch 17, 1964 B. R. BRIDGES 3,125,377 3 OTTOMAN WITH CHANGEABLE CUSHIONING MEANS THEREIN Filed Dec. 27, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

Billie R Bria'gew INVENTOR- United States Patent 3,125,377 OTTOMAN WITH CHANGEABLE CUSHIDNING MEANS THEREIN Billie R. Bridges, 619 E. 23rd, Grandview, Wash. Filed Dec. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 162,493 2 Claims. (Cl. 297462) This invention relates to a novel ottoman or hassock which is unique in that the encased cushioning media is readily insertable and removable and the cushioning properties or characteristics are readily changeable to conform with individual requirements.

More particularly, the herein disclosed ottoman is characterized by a novel cover or jacket which is constructed to define a pocket-like space or chamber containing superposed inflatable and deflatable tubes, the latter being readily insertable and removable, whereby to thus provide 'a collapsible compact and convenient structural adaptation which is easy to use, handle and store.

Another objective has to do with companion pneumatic tubes stacked and confined in the pocket of a novelly constructed cover or jacket and wherein with such arrangement the cushioning and seating properties can be varied to provide the user with a tight but yieldable seat or alternatively a seat which is more relaxed depending on prevailing requirements and the degree of inflation of the tubes individually or collectively. This aspect of the concept is seemingly original and unique.

Further, the bottom wall (or panel) provides a base and is centrally apertured to provide an entrance and exit opening or hole by way of which access to the pocket is had, making it convenient to insert, remove and vary the expansion of the tubes.

Then, too, the tube cover (case or jacket) is novel as such. Using suitable plastic sheet or equivalent colorful material a durable pleasant appearing ottoman is had. To the ends desired the connectible edges of the walls are joined by attractive welted seams, adding eye appeal and rendering the cover strong and durable and capable of resisting the effects of wear and tear resulting from careless handling, particularly by energetic youngsters.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of an ottoman or hassock constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view in perspective which is angled into position to show the appearance and construction of the bottom portion of the ottoman;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the seven principal components which go to make up the cover or jacket;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a detail section on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

The novel cover is constructed of seven components which are sewn together using corded welt at the top, middle and bottom seams. The four components defining a top wall are joined by welted seams. The adjacent transverse ends of the elongated strips which form the vertical wall are joined at the seam with stitches. There is a hole in the bottom wall which is edged with binding tape. With reference in particular to FIGURE 3 the four patch-like component parts which go to make up the horizontal top wall '8 are the same in construction each being of segmental or sector-shaped form and denoted by the numeral 19. In actual practice these patches or components may be individually and distinctively colored to provide a colorful patchwork effect. The abutting or adjacent edges of the component sections 19 are sewn together in the manner shown in FIGURE 4 wherein it will be seen that the edges are turned down or in as at 12 with the lip or edge portions of the casing 14 of the welt stitched therebetween as at 16. The casing contains the desired bead-forming cord 18. This upstanding welted seam construction provides the unique appearance depicted in FIGURE 1. The opposed horizontal bottom wall 20 comprises an annulus 22 the center hole of which is denoted at 24. The edge is trimmed or edged with a binding tape 26 mounted as shown in FIGURE 4. The tape is first stitched at 28 and then drawn over the edge 24 and folded back as at 30 and 32 where the second row of stitches 34 passes through the several plies in the manner shown. The binding or edging tape is denoted as an entity by the numeral 36. This wall 20 provides a desired base or bottom and the center opening provides an entrance or exit for the insertable and removable pneumatic tubes 38 and 40. The intervening or vertical wall between the top and bottom walls and which may be described as a connecting web is denoted as an entity by the numeral 42. More specifically this two-part wall comprises a pair of like elongated strips of material 44 and 46, the transverse end portions 48 being stitched together as at 50 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The lengthwise edges 52 are turned in in the manner shown in FIG. 4 and are stitched at 54 to the coacting edge portions of the corded welt 56. The outer marginal edge of the top wall denoted at 58 in FIG. 4 is stitched at the points 60 and 62 to the upper edge of the strip 46 and edge portions 64 of the corded welt, the cord denoted at 66 and the welt jacket or casing at 68. This same principle of construction is utilized in attaching the marginal edge portions of the bottom wall, as at 70 to the bottom wall circumscribing welt 72.

The jacket or cover thus constructed defines an internal pocket which is filled in part in the manner shown in FIG. 4 with duplicate pneumatic tubes 38 and 48 which are stacked on each other. When the tubes are inflated the individual strips 46 and 48 are given a convex or rounded contoured shape. By properly mating the tubes 38 and 40 with each other and using tubes which are proportional with the interconnected strips 44 and 46 a reliable shape and form of requisite resiliency and rigidity is imparted to the overall ready-to-use ottoman. It is within the purview of the inventive concept to use pneumatic tubes which are with or without infiation valves. Where the manufacturer is interested in the knockdown or collapsible aspect of the invention valved tubes (not detailed) may be employed, making it convenient to insert and remove the tubes and, in fact, to inflate or deflate the tubes singly or collectively to vary the resiliency and cushioning effect.

It is submitted that a studied consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a full and comprehensive understanding of the construction, features and advantages and mode of using the invention. Therefore, a more extended description is thought to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1.'A collapsible hassock comprising a cover made of flexible sheet material and embodying a horizontal annular ply providing a bottom wall having a centrally disposed opening providing an endless marginal edge, said edge being reinforced by binding tape which is attached thereto and borders said edge, a complemental horizontal top wall made up of a plurality of companion flexible sheet material patches having adjacent marginal edges joined by complemental outstanding welted seams, said top wall being of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of said bottom wall, a vertical connecting wall interposed between the outer marginal edges of said horizontal top and bottom walls and having upper and lower edges thereof united by welted seams to the cooperating outer marginal edges of said top and bottom walls, said connecting wall embodying a pair of duplicate elongated strips of flexible sheet material having transverse ends connected together and having their respectively adjacent cooperating lengthwise edges joined to each other by welted seams, all of said walls cooperating with each other and defining a hollow pocket to which access is had by way of the opening in said bottom wall, said pocket being designed and adapted to contain insertable and removable pneumatic tubes.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and, in combination, two like pneumatic tubes confined in said pocket,

one tube supported atop the ct er and being thus interposed between outer marginal portions of the respective top and bottom walls, the width of said elongated strips being proportional to the transverse cross-section of the pneumatic tube and said strips thus defining upper and lower tube accommodating spaces, said tubes when in cooperating and confined fully inflated relationship in said pocket having their outer peripheral portions contacting interior surfaces of the respective coacting strips and functioning to impart shape to and bulge the strips outwardly to assume convex form, the entrance opening provided at the center of said bottom wall being of a size to permit said tubes when amply deflated to be inserted into said pocket through said opening or withdrawn therefrom as the case may be, and the seams at the junctional connection of the outer marginal edge of the bottom wall and cooperating bottom edge of said connecting wall defining an endless bead.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,818 Kuhlman Oct. 8, 1940 2,556,926 Krasnov et al June 12, 1951 3,023,050 Jensen Feb. 27, 1962 3,029,109 Nail Apr. 10, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES The Sunday Star, Washington, D.C., Dec. 5, 1948,

page D-19. 

1. A COLLAPSIBLE HASSOCK COMPRISING A COVER MADE OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL AND EMBODYING A HORIZONTAL ANNULAR PLY PROVIDING A BOTTOM WALL HAVING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED OPENING PROVIDING AN ENDLESS MARGINAL EDGE, SAID EDGE BEING REINFORCED BY BINDING TAPE WHICH IS ATTACHED THERETO AND BORDERS SAID EDGE, A COMPLEMENTAL HORIZONTAL TOP WALL MADE UP OF A PLURALITY OF COMPANION FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL PATCHES HAVING ADJACENT MARGINAL EDGES JOINED BY COMPLEMENTAL OUTSTANDING WELTED SEAMS, SAID TOP WALL BEING OF A DIAMETER CORRESPONDING TO THE DIAMETER OF SAID BOTTOM WALL, A VERTICAL CONNECTING WALL INTERPOSED BETWEEN THE OUTER MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID HORIZONTAL TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS AND HAVING UPPER AND LOWER EDGES THEREOF UNITED BY WELTED SEAMS TO THE COOPERATING OUTER MARGINAL EDGES OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, SAID CONNECTING WALL EMBODYING A PAIR OF DUPLICATE ELONGATED STRIPS OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL HAVING TRANSVERSE ENDS CONNECTED TOGETHER AND HAVING THEIR RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT COOPERATING LENGTHWISE EDGES JOINED TO EACH OTHER BY WELTED SEAMS, ALL OF SAID WALLS COOPERATING WITH EACH OTHER AND DEFINING A HOLLOW POCKET TO WHICH ACCESS IS HAD BY WAY OF THE OPENING IN SAID BOTTOM WALL, SAID POCKET BEING DESIGNED AND ADAPTED TO CONTAIN INSERTABLE AND REMOVABLE PNEUMATIC TUBES. 